Two Hearts, Their World
by Dream.Of.Rainy.Days-x
Summary: AU, No Magic. PL. The strength of their relationship is put to the test. All limits tried. You can only get pushed so far, before you start to think, What if we were never mean to be together in the first place? Set seven years on from “Just Breath”
1. Fires Never Burn Forever

**AN: This chapter is short, yeah; just to test out the new story line.

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Also I would like to say that, this story is going to have more of a plot and a point to it than Just Breath did. It's not going to be an obvious plot to begin with, but it's there.

Fires never burn forever. Eventually that run out of oxygen and suffocate themselves. And somewhere along the way it dwindles and all together stops. Sometimes you can see the end coming, sometimes its gradual so you don't even notice until its gone; out of reach and impossible to ever get back.

He trailed his hand over her arm as she slept. The only time he could even do that any more was when sleep provided her with the complete abandon that he so desperate needed. When she slept, when she was so far fallen into her own mind; that was when he could still act like he was in love with her. The only time he could still kiss her head and stroke her arm. Trace his fingers over her collarbone and tell her how much he loved her.

That was why he hardly slept anymore.

She had her back to him. She always faced the door. Almost as if she had to face an escape route. Almost as if she was screaming to be set free.

_She probably was._

"Leooooo…." He heard a small voice from the room next-door call out. Leo sighed and hauled himself out of the warm bed, kissed her on the forehead and stepped out.

"Jake? What's up?" Leo rubbed his face and knelt down, bringing himself down to the same level as the small 8-year-old boy in front of him.

He looked just like Piper. Right down to the way his eyes lit up when he smiled, and the way he'd bite his nails when he got nervous.

"I had a bad dream." He sniffled and wiping his runny nose with the back of his right hand. Leo nodded. Jake was having a lot more of these bad dream lately.

"Is Taylor awake too?" He asked and Jake shook his head.

"I didn't wake her." Leo nodded again and took the boys small hand in his and walked him back into his room.

He flipped on the switch and stare at all the blue walls. Typical little boy really. On the wall facing his bed was a huge poster of his favourite soccer star. And above his headboard was another one of the Chicago Bulls team.

"It's okay Jake. Nothing going to hurt you." Leo soothed and stroked hair, pulling the dark blue covers up to cover his small body.

"It was dad…" His voice was quiet and scared, and tear fell onto the pillow. Leo smiled sadly at the boy and pulled him into his arms.

"It's okay. He can't hurt you Jake." He kissed his forehead and placed him back down after a little while. "You okay now?"

Jake nodded slowly and Leo walked towards the door, flipping the switch.

"Love you Leo."

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**AN: Yep, short but I liked the chapter. I didn't want it to be any longer. Please review and I'll post the next one faster.**


	2. For All To See

**AN: Ok, chapter two, another short one…forgive me please.**

**And thank you infinitely to my readers, who gave me a wonderful 14 reviews for the _first_ chapter. Also, I'm already on 6 alerts. Wow. Thank you so much. I write everything for you guys.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that appear in the Charmed TV Series. I don't own the lyrics I use, they belong to The All-American Rejects, One More Sad Song.

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Sat in Starbucks, holding a steaming coffee in his hands, staring emptily into the brown liquid. It was quiet inside the shop; the only other person that was there was a middle-aged man sat on the side opposite Leo. Every now and then he would look up, catch Leo's eye, if only for a second and then look away.

It was his two-hour break away from the ER; he used to spend them with Piper. Savouring every moment he got spend with her, knowing that it would be over too soon. As time went on, the two hours began to drag on, arguments came and somewhere along the way he stopped coming all together.

"You need talk kid?" He heard a deep; gravely voice and Leo pulled his head up to face the man.

"What gives you the impression that I want to?" Leo snapped back at him, his gaze returning to his coffee, and taking a gulp of it. Revelling in the way he felt the burn slip down his throat.

"I didn't ask if you want to. I asked if you needed to." And then man sat down next to him and thrust his in front of Leo's face. "Sam."

Leo just looked at the man and shook his hand slowly, "Leo." He answered and then pushed the hand away, "I don't need to talk to anyone." He spoke firmly and stared out of the window.

It was snowing outside.

"Sure you do." Sam spoke casually like he did this everyday. Leo shook his head firmer.

"No, I really don't. I just need to be left alone." _This guy really isn't getting the hint. I don't **anyone**. I need to be left **alone**. That's all. **Alone**._ "Why are you over here?"

"You looked sad. Not just sad, like a deep sad. Like the feelings sank into your bones and heart by now. It's so deep you don't even realise it's there any more. You need to talk." Sam's voice was still calm, but more insistent now. It was enough to strike a chord in Leo, "Every one can see it kid."

**_My heart is torn, for all to see_**

Leo didn't like this man. He was making him think about things he didn't want to think about. It hurt to think about them. He stood up stiffly and kept a perfect poker face as he looked back down at Sam, "I don't need to talk about anything." And Leo walked out into the snow.

**.xXx.**

_She was so small, hardly the size of his hand as she lay in the plastic box surrounded by wires; coming out of her in all directions. So tiny. She wasn't ready; it wasn't supposed to be this way. It was too early. She wasn't ready._

"_Leo…" The nurse put a hand on his shoulder but he didn't react. He just continued to stare at the little child in front of him. "Mr Wyatt…"_

"_She wasn't ready yet…" He mumbled, almost incoherently but the nurse understood. She saw so much of this every day. _

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"Leo, your wife wants to see you now…" She spoke softly to him, trying to coax him out of the almost catatonic state. _

"_So small…" He traced the cold, hard plastic with his index finger and the nurse pulled it away. Forcing him to face her. _

"_Your wife wants to see you." Her voice was almost angry now. Trying to shock him back into the real world. Shock him out his own mind._

_He just stared back at her, a blank expression carved into his face; his eyes perfect green eyes, vacant and stained. _

"_She wasn't ready yet!" He snapped, falling to the floor, his eyes not once leaving his daughter. _

_No tears fell. Not once did a singe tear fall._

**.xXx.**

The force of the flashback hit Leo hard, his knees almost giving way beneath him, but he stood strong as he forced himself to come to terms with something.

Maybe, just maybe, that was the moment the fire stopped.

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**AN: I know, that wasn't great but I liked it somewhat. Reviews will make me update quicker.**


	3. Through The Rain

**AN: This is a happy chapter. Sort of. The story needs one now and then. So don't expect there to be one for a while after this. Thank you, thank you for the 12 reviews on the las chapters and to the awesome 7 people who already have this story on alert. Wow, I love you guys.**

**Sorry it's another short one sorry guys. A long one will be coming soon I promise.**

**Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. I wish. The beautiful lyrics are also borrowed from an amazing band called Nickelback. The song is If Everyone Cared.

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_**And as we lie beneath the stars  
We realize how small we are  
If they could love like you and me  
Imagine what the world could be**_

_There they lay, underneath the blanket of the night sky, staring up at the stars, remember how they did this so many years ago. 8 years on and the love they felt for each other hadn't died out. It had grown into something much deeper. They didn't even know what it was. But it was there. _

_Piper looked across that their woven fingers lying on the grass, and felt her heart begin race and her breaths grow shallow. This was the way it was supposed to be. After all of the struggles, everything they had been through. This is their happy ending._

**You have to go through the rain to get the rainbow at the end.**

_He kissed the top of her head, his lips scarcely making contact. She shivered. But it wasn't from the cold. It was the opposite. She shivered from the over whelming heat of the love her felt for him. _

_This was a perfect and unflawed moment. Piper hadn't had too many of them in her life, so she was going to savour every moment of this one._

"_I. Love. You." His words were punctuated by butterfly kisses on her hair. Hair that smelled of vanilla, and maybe strawberries too. She knew what that shampoo did to him. _

"_I love you too."_

_And it was true. This was the love that existed in fairy tales. And Piper pitied every person in the world that had never experienced love like this in their lives. Maybe that was why their was so much trouble in the world. There wasn't enough love. Not this kind. If every one loved like this, the world could be perfect._

_He reached out with his right hand to turn her head to face him. So gentle. He kissed her again. This time with slightly more pressure. Letting them fall into each other a little further._

_His hand fallen from her cheek onto her shoulder. Sliding down her arm and resting and her hand. Caressing it slowly._

**.xXx.**

So long ago from where they were now as she faced away from him in the dark. Her features were un-relaxed and worried. Even in her sleep she couldn't fight away the demons they had battled against for so long now.

And it hurt.

It hurt to know that he couldn't help her and take away the pain again. This time, he couldn't.

Yeah, that hurt.

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**AN: Sorry, about the lack of length. Please review.**

**You guys are most likely the best reviewers I've ever had for any other story. Your full of awesome reviews and your so full of ideas about things. I know it's confusing now, but… all will become clear soon.**


	4. Dreams

**AN: Ok, this is chapter four. It's longer than the first three but still not as long as I would like. I'm trying really I am.

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Jake awoke, drenched in cold sweat and choking back a scream. He gripped hard onto the cold metal of the bed frame until his knuckles turned white, willing himself not to run to Leo. He couldn't. Not again, he knew that Leo was hardly getting sleep as it was.

The dreams were back again.

Breathing heavily in and out, dragging the much-needed air into his lungs he relaxed himself onto his pillow again. _Just a dream Jake. He's not coming back. Leo promised you. _

But the dreams, they seemed so real. He could feel his own fear, and almost taste the rage and confusion that it was laced with. He bit hard down onto his lip, suppressing yet another call for Leo. _It's not fair on him, he shouldn't have to wake up every night and deal with you._

There was too much on his eight-year-old mind. It just wasn't right. Jake had seen too much of life already.

"Leo…" He whimpered giving in.

It was always Leo he called for when he was like this. Always. He called for never his mom. It was always Leo.

"Leooooo…" He whined again, a tear escaping his eye and landing on the cotton next to him. When Leo was here things would be fine. He would turn on the light and tell him how everything was okay. And Leo would hug him and tell him he loved him.

When Leo got here everything would be okay.

"LEO!" His whines increased to a shout, with more than a hint of desperation to it.

His bedroom door swung open, light from the hallway came streaming in and Jake shielded his eyes.

"What's wrong honey?" His mother asked softly as she walked carefully over to his bed. Jake let a sigh a disappointment and shrank back down into his covers, burying his face into his pillow.

"Nothing, it's okay…" He said quietly as Piper sat down next to him, and began to stroke his just-washed brown hair.

"Jake…" She tried but he just ignored her, "Leo's at work honey." She explained and Jake sat up then.

"But he's never at work at night, they gave him shifts so he wouldn't after…" Jake trailed off, squeezing his eye tight, trying to block of the memories that were threatening to flood his mind again.

"I know Jakey, but he had to work tonight…" She pulled her son into him, relieved that he didn't struggle at all. "You wanna come into my bed?"

Jake wiped his eyes and nodded slightly. He wanted Leo.

"Ok then." Piper took hold of his hand and they walked out of his room and into hers. And as she tucked him in she whispered into his ear, "See, everything's okay now."

But it wasn't and they both knew it.

**.xXx.**

Leo sighed a little and lent his head back onto the cold, hard wall behind him. It had been a long and busy night. The ER was short staffed and there was a train crash. A stream of casualties had come through the doors and there was no time to do anything else.

He had been in bed when his pager went off. He was in bed, staring over at Piper next to him. Well, he body was next to him. But she wasn't. Her mind was somewhere else. And he didn't know where that somewhere else was.

And then his pager went off. He never got called at night any more. But tonight he did. And he was almost glad of an escape.

So, without any argument, he told Piper he had to go to work. She didn't argue like she used to. She didn't go to him throw her arms around his neck, and tell him to stay like she used to. She just nodded and turned back over.

He walked in to check how Jake was. He didn't want to leave him, _what if he has another dream?_ But he looked fine. He checked how Taylor was and she was sleeping too. He little hand gripping tightly onto her favourite teddy. He kissed her head and then he walked out.

"Earth to Leo…" He heard a voice from beside him say, he blinked rapidly and turned to look.

"Oh, hi Alex," He answered and moved over so she could sit down.

"How you doin? First night shift in a while…" She trailed off, knowing she had got too close as a look of pain flashed briefly across his face.

"Yeah, well… I guess I had to get back sometime…" He reached over to his cup off coffee on the table in front of him and took a gulp of it.

"Mark didn't want to call you but…" Leo nodded and place his now empty cup back down and glanced up at the clock on the wall.

6AM.

He ran a hand through his hair and smiled at Alex.

"I best be headin off…" She nodded and smiled back at him.

"Bye." But he was already out the door.

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**AN: Some of that will seem pointless right now, but it's not. Remember, I do sort of have a plot for this story. Ok, please review guys. I love you all. I really do. Thanks for reading.**

**Who else cried like a baby at the end of Charmed? Chyeah; thats what I _thought_. Most heartbreakingly happy episode I've ever seen.**


	5. Just Breath

**AN: I update this story a lot, it's a distraction from the oh-so-cliched high school drama I've hit. **

**Ok, here's chapter five and it's another flashback and another short one, I don't know why all the chapters are turning out short for this story. It's just working out that way. Set just after the end of Just Breath, I know a few of you have been waiting for this one…

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"Miss Halliwell, I need you to breath," The triage nurse told her in a soothing voice, place a hand of her back.

But Piper could hardly hear, she couldn't really hear anything. Only the sound of one monotonous beep vibrating through her skull. And it was burning her mind. It was eating away at her from the inside, all she could do was try and scream it out. Try and get it out of her.

"Deep breaths please Miss Halliwell…" He reached for an oxygen mask from the shelves next to him, knowing if this kept up much longer he was going to need it. "Just breath…"

A wave of dizziness hit Piper like a ton of bricks and her eyes rolled backwards. The nurse caught on to this and moved his arm from her back to her shoulders to support her.

"Put your head between your legs," He told her and she nodded, only just understanding what he was telling her. He gently pressed on her back to give her more of a signal. She nodded again and rested her forehead on the set she was sat on.

"Stay until the dizziness wears off." He walked over to the other side of the room to put the oxygen mask back down. "Do you feel nauseous at all?" He asked, and she shook her head. "Okay, just stay there…"

**.xXx.**

"Where is she?" Leo's croaky voice made Phoebe jump a little and she turned around to face him.

"You're awake…" She whispered walking slowly over to him. He looked in bad shape. Bruises covered his face and there were tubes coming out of him in all directions.

"Where is she?" He repeated and she took hold of his hand, and squeezed lightly.

"She… she had a hard time with it all. She went into shock or something." Phoebe paused and caught look of worry that flashed across his face, "The nurses of taking care of her. She'll be fine." She reassured him and he nodded, "How you feelin honey?"

He laughed a bit, and then started coughing. Phoebe waited until he was done, "Like I just got hit by a truck."

She smiled, and forced down tears welling up, "You scared us there for a minute…" A tear made its way down her cheek. Leo had always been there, for almost as long as she could remember he had always been there. And they almost lost him forever.

"For a minute there, I scared myself." He choked out.

They were silent for a while after that, not an awkward silence, just silence. Both comfortable with the other one. Not needing words.

"What was it like?" Her voice smashed through the atmosphere and Leo looked up her. His perfect green eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I don't…I don't remember…" Phoebe's eyes flickered over him and the rested on something at the front of the room near the door. Leo followed her gaze and almost cried when he did.

"Piper…" His voice was strangled and almost unrecognisable. But the way his emotion flooded through his words as he spoke her name, made her heart beat ever faster.

She didn't think as her feet carried her at an almost run over to the bed and she fell on him, crying tears of relief.

"I love you Leo. I love you so much. So much." She repeated the words over an over.

Leo just held her and stroked her hair.

"I love you to."

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**AN: I liked it despite the length. Slight fluff. Please review. Thanks.**


	6. Oh My God

**AN: Ok, another chapter, I tried to make this a longer one. Still not as long as I want it to be, not even close. But I wanted to end it there. Big thank yous to everyone who's reading this even, but even bigger ones to every one who's reviewing. You guys rule. Ok, on with the chapter.

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"You wanna talk today kid?" Sam tried again but Leo just shook his head fiercely. It was the wrong day to annoy him. He was up with Jake all night last night after he had more of his dreams.

"No, I need to be left alone." Leo told him, gulping down coffee until the cup was empty. It hadn't really helped any. He needed another one. "And I'm not a kid." He stood up and walked to the counter.

Sam followed him.

"To me you are a kid." He laughed slightly, but seeing Leo's dark expression he stopped, "How old are you? I'm guessing around 26/27." Leo didn't answer and Sam continued, "You look like you've been through too much for your age."

Leo gripped the counter in front of him until his knuckles turned white and his eyes turned a darker shade of green. Like an emerald. Sam was getting to close to the truth.

"When was the last time you let it all out to someone son?" He placed a hand on Leo's right shoulder but it was immediately shrugged off, "I bet you never have…" Leo nodded at the person who served him his coffee and walked back to the table he was sat at. Completely ignoring Sam.

"It's unhealthy you know, keeping your feeling locked away like you doing. Talk about it…" Leo just stared straight ahead.

_Why won't he just leave me alone? Why is he so interested in me?_

"Why do you even care so much?" It came out angrier than it had meant to but he didn't apologise for it. Sam just shrugged.

"I don't know. You just look like you need someone. I'm here." He gestured with his hands, "So talk."

"I have nothing to talk about." Leo insisted and drank the rest of the coffee, the second one hadn't helped either, but he sure as heel wasn't going to stick around for another, "Screw it."

He stood up, pulling his coat tighter around him and braced himself for the cold Chicago air.

"See you around." Sam smiled and Leo walked out of the door.

**.xXx.**

_That night at work hadn't been anything special. Nothing new had happened. No changes in the usual routine, it was Leo's break and he walked into the staff room, where Alex was already sat down, leafing carelessly through a magazine. _

"_Hey Leo." She said cheerily looking up and smiling. Leo smiled back and sat down next to her. _

"_How you doin?" He asked her as she put her magazine down on the table in front of them both._

"_I'm good, it's my last year this year," Her smile grew bigger. Alex was in med school and this was her last year. One more and she'd be a fully-fledged doctor. Leo was proud of her. She hadn't had it easy in life, and she was making something of herself. _

_There should be more people like Alex in the world._

"_How are you?" She asked him, her voice growing soft, "How's the baby?"_

_It was a touchy subject for Leo and she knew it. She opened her mouth to change the subject, regretting asking him when Leo answered._

"_She's perfect. We called her Taylor. She's just so…" His eyes gazed over slightly and she nodded. _

"_She okay now?" Leo smiled more._

"_Yeah, she fine." He laughed, "She's noisy…but fine." Alex laughed too and looked up at the clock on the wall._

"_We better be getting back…" She stood and Leo followed her lead, holding the door open for her. _

_.x._

"_A adult, female. Multiple severe, head chest wounds. Heavy blood loss."_

"_Chid, male. Same state as the mother. Suspected broken ribs and cracked skull."_

_There was rushing around, as various doctors and nurses rushed the doors where to people were being wheeled. In. Alex and Leo ran to them._

"_Leo…" Alex turned to him, her face white and she was shaking lightly._

"_What is it?" He asked and she moved slowly aside to give him a view. "Oh my god…"

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**AN: I know that wasn't great but I just wanted to get it down. The next one is going to be a pretty big chapter as far as plot development goes. It should be up soon. So please review and it'll be up even sooner.**


	7. Always Should Be

**AN: Again, you guys amaze me. You review as much as you do, even though I'm pretty sure the way I'm writing this story sucks. None of this seems to be my best, I'm trying… I really am, but I can't get words to flow anymore… -sigh- good news for you guys, I have up to chapter 17 pre-written so far, so should be able to get back into it soon… **

**This one short, but _important_.**

**Just another thing, with all the ideas you guys had for what happened at the end the last chapter, one of you got it. I'm not saying who. But... yeah one of you guys is very clever. -nods-

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He loosened his tie and shrugged off his jacket as soon as he walked through the door into the dark hallway. He kicked of his shoes and padded upstairs.

It was late.

He opened the door to Jake's room slowly and peeked in, there he was sleeping silently. Leo smiled a little and turned to check in on Taylor. She was fine too, again fast asleep; her right hand gripping hard onto a stuffed purple bear that Phoebe had bought her for Christmas last year. He leant down and kissed her forehead, breathing in her smell.

"Night princess…" He whispered as he shut the door quietly behind him.

He stared down the now lit hallway to his bedroom door. She was in there. His heart dropped just a little then. He just wished he could push past all the bad and get back to what they were like a few years ago. Hell, even what they were like a few _months _ago was better than this.

Anything was better than this.

They hardly looked at each other anymore. And it killed him a little more everyday.

Leo sighed and walked to the door, but he didn't go in straight away. He stood behind the door and listened carefully. He could hear her breathing, slowly and deep. She sounded so peaceful. He smiled a little before walking in.

The light from the hall streamed in from the open door, causing her to stir in her sleep. Leo stopped walking and looked at her. Not wanting her to be woken. She needed her sleep. He quickly shut the door and walked as quietly as he could to his drawers, next to his side of the bed.

"Leo…" She asked, her voice thick with sleep. He turned his head to look at her. Her long chocolate hair spread around her head; like a halo almost, her eyes were half closed and she was looking right back at him.

"Yeah…" He had stripped down to his boxer and pulled the covers up, sliding next to her. Feeling confident that he could do that for the first time in a long while.

At first he felt her stiffen next to him and he though about moving, but then she relaxed. Her body recognising his. She laid her head on his chest and he wrapped his left arm around her. _This is the way it should always be._

"I love you." She whispered and a smile across his face. It had been way too long since she had said that to him. He told her loved her too and together they fell into a deep and happy sleep.

**.xXx.**

Leo was woken by the phone ringing. He started to get up when Piper pulled him down.

"Leave it." She whispered and he nodded, settling back down. But the phone kept on ringing. And when it cut of to the machine. It began to ring again. And again. And again. It was obviously important.

"I'll get it…" Piper mumbled and stood up, walking over to phone at the other end of the bedroom.

"Hello?" She answered. A second went by and then she spoke again, "What's wrong?" Leo sat up a little more and watched her as she face drained of all its colour, "Oh God…"

He right hand relaxed and the phone clattered to the floor.

"Piper…"

She followed it, falling to her knees. Leo shot out of bed and ran over to her, wrapping his arms around her small body.

"What's wrong honey… tell me…" He whispered in her ear as she cried into his chest.

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**AN: Yes, I know not my best but like I said, it's a pretty big one so far as plot development goes. Please review and I'll post chapter 8 quicker, which is going to be another flashback chapter.**


	8. Fate All Along

**AN: Okay, so this is chapter 8, just a nice fluffy flashback. Because, this story needs fluff. Non depressing fluff. So here it is.

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That day was perfect. The most perfect day anyone could ever dream of. And Piper had dreamed a lot by that point.

**.xXx.**

_Jake smiled up at his mother from were he sat cross-legged on the floor. She was stood in front of a full-length mirror. He sisters and Paige stood behind her, with tears in their eyes. _

_Piper looked down at her 5-year-old son. He looked adorable in his little grey suit, playing with a small black button on his jacket._

"_You look pretty mommy." He told her and she nearly cried. She **felt** pretty. She felt beautiful. _

"_Thank you. You look good Jake." His smile grew wider and Phoebe walked up behind him. _

_The door opened behind them and Piper turned to look, laughing a little when she saw who it was. She ran towards them, hugging them both tightly._

"_Nathan! Rick!" She almost squealed out of happiness. "I've missed you guys." They hugged her back._

"_Sorry, we would've let you know… but Leo said to keep it quiet…" Nathan explained, smiling to himself and Rick laughed._

"_We made it." He whispered, almost so no one could hear him. But Piper did and nodded, hugging him once more. Whispering the words "we did" into his ear softly._

"_Jamie couldn't come. She sent a note…" Nathan handed her a piece of paper from his pocket, and Piper took it, "She wanted to though…" He stared down at his feet as the room fell into an awkward silence._

_Prue coughed slightly, breaking the sheet of ice in between them all and spoke up, "Come on, let's get this going."_

_They all laughed and nodded a lot. Piper stared at the door in front of her, breathing in deeply. This was the moment she had been dreaming of for so long. It was finally going to happen. And it was perfect._

"_Ready to walk little guy?" She asked Jake and he stood up, looking over at Piper. He held out his hand for Phoebe and she took it._

"_Yeah!" He ran towards to the door, pulling Phoebe after him. She smiled at her big sister, who was fussing over her dress._

"_Come on, you look perfect." Prue pushed Piper towards the door a little and everyone else laughed slightly. Nathan linked his arm through Paige's and Rick linked his through Prue's. "Let's go."_

_They all took a noticeable deep breath in a Phoebe led the way out of the door. _

_**This is it.**_

**.xXx.**

Everything about that day was incredible. Everything. It was raining a little outside, but even that looked pretty. And Leo, that was the cherry on the cake. And as he smiled at her down the aisle, all thoughts of running away flew out of her head.

_This was her fate all along.

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**AN: That was really crappy I know. I know. But the next one is better. I suck at writing fluff.**


	9. Not Like They Used To

**AN: Ok, this picks up right after chapter 7. This is a longer one guys.

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The tears didn't last long. Not like they used to. This time they were only 10 minutes at most. Hardly anything. But what she was crying over was too big. Too big to cry over almost.

"Plane. Now Leo." She sobbed incoherently into his chest, burying her face deep into the comfort he kept in the familiar feel of him.

"What? Piper, I need you to speak a little more clearly." He soothed, rubbing his right hand up and down her back.

She breathed in deeply, trying to get it more regular. She sat up and brushed hair from her face and wiped a hand across her eyes, taking away the tears that hadn't yet escaped.

"We need to get on a plane now Leo." She said again, although appearing calmer she still wasn't looking at him as she spoke. But instead staring intently out of the window behind them. Into the harsh glow of the street lamp.

"Why? What's wrong?" He edges closer to her but she shook her head and stood up. He sat on the floor and looked up at her, waiting for her to make the first move.

"Back to San Francisco." She stated simply, no emotion passing across her face. This worried Leo more than if she would've been breaking down. He stood up and pulled her left hand into his, warming her cold one with his warm.

"Prue." Leo nodded at the mention of Prue's name. One of the very few people Piper would react like this to. "She's in hospital." Another pause while she took more deep breaths in, "Car accident."

And after she said that she walked out of the bedroom, leaving Leo stood alone feeling helpless to help his wife. A feeling he has had at numerous times in his existence.

He hated it.

**.xXx.**

_There she laid, almost the same colour as the white sheets. Her eyes dark against her pale skin and her lips were almost devoid of all colours. Wires wove themselves around her, machines hooked up to her in every direction._

_It hurt to see her like this. And it hurt even more to know who put her there. _

"_Hey baby." He whispered against her skin, kissing her cheek lightly. "You scared me there…"_

_Piper nodded and reached slowly for his hand, which he took immediately._

"_You were just there Pipe… not moving. And, and I called your name. I called your name. Over and over again…." Tears welled up violently in Leo's eyes as the hard-hitting images replayed in his head like a movie, "You wouldn't wake up. And you were hot. So hot…"_

_He looked up the harsh white ceiling of the hospital room and breathed out loudly. He was beginning to really hate the colour white._

"_The paramedics…they said you might not make it. They said they thought it was overdose."_

_Piper nodded again to show she was still listening to what he was saying, and then she waited for him to continue. _

"_The doctors said it was too. Cocaine they said. Then they put you here…"_

_A tear rolled down his cheek and he wiped it quickly away, "Why Piper?"_

_His voice so quiet, the machines almost overpowered him. Almost._

"_I didn't…" She started but trailed off, shaking her head, "I don't know."_

_He sighed and then they just sat in tarnished silence, until Leo's angry voice broke right through the wall between them._

"_It was him wasn't it." He said, his voice low and almost a snarl as he spoke. It scared he to see him like this, he never got angry. He was Leo._

"_No, Leo…" She tried but he cut her off by standing up and shouting some more._

"_I'll fucking kill him. I will. I kill him." He was getting angrier every second that passed, rage flowing freely through his veins, burning him alive from the inside, and he did nothing to control himself. He was way beyond control now._

"_Leo, calm down." She tried yet again, in vain, knowing he wouldn't care._

"_No! He did this to you! I'll kill him!" And we walked out, slamming the door behind him. Leaving Piper alone in her hospital bed, ice cold tears streaming down her cheeks._

_How did things get like this?_

**.xXx.**

He held on tight to her hand as they sat on plane. She was just staring straight ahead blankly.

"Piper, honey, talk to me…" He spoke softly, squeezing her hand. She didn't react to him. "When we touch down, we can phone Paige to see how Taylor and Jake are doing." Still he got no notice to let him know that she could hear him.

It hurt to see her like this. It hurt more than he could ever put into words. But he couldn't do anything o bring her out of this near-catatonic state that she had fallen into. God knows he had tried.

Jake had tried. He hugged her on the taxi to Paige's, and clung to her before they walked out of her house and left him there. But he got nothing from her either.

Taylor had tried. On some subconscious baby understanding, she knew something was wrong with her mommy. She cried when they left. That was something she had never done before.

Hell, even Paige had tried. She hugged her and handed her tissues for her tears that refused to fall and told her everything ws going to be okay.

All Piper had done was nod occasionally and muttered by as she walked hurriedly out of the door.

"She's not gunna be okay." She suddenly spoke, dragging Leo from his thoughts.

"Of course she will." He reassured "Its Prue." But Piper shook her head.

"No. She won't."

* * *

**AN: I kinda liked this chapter. But my plot is moving along. Please review, and the next one will be out sooner.**

**Yeah, if you didn't get it… the flashback was when they were in high school. When everything with Dan was kicking off, if you remember the big argument he had with Rick about if Dan gave her drugs or not? Well, this is what set of the argument. I just thought, I'd clear that up if I were confusing you.**


	10. The Waiting Game

**AN: Right this is another flashback chapter. I want to go back and deal with their relationship again, and the way it started to fall apart. The whys and the wherefores. Yeah, back to that for a chapter now.

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**

There is only so much that a person can take. There is only so much that a _couple_ can take. After so many obstacles have been thrown your way, you start to ask yourself questions. Sooner or later you start to doubt yourself.

"_Is fate trying to tell us something? Is trying to give us an easy way out?"_

And sometimes you stay and fight, weather the storms that are constantly thrown in front of you. But _everyone_ has his or her breaking points. It's just a matter of time, until you hit that barrier.

So, herewe play the waiting game.

**.xXx.**

"Leo?" Piper whispered, gently shaking his right shoulder. "Leo?" She called out again.

He had fallen asleep on the couch again, curled up, his neck bent in a awkward position against the hard arm of the chair. He was mumbling incoherently, and his face was covered in thin layer of sweat.

His blue shirt was wrinkled now, as were the black pants he was wearing. His shoes lay across the other side of the room. One sock on, one sock off.

"Leo…" She tired again, pressing a gentle kiss on his left cheek, trying to coax him from his dream-state.

"Hmmm…" He groaned, his eyes still shut.

"Come to bed…" She tugged lightly on his hand before he batted her away. She looked down at him with hurt eyes, "Leo, please"

She was almost begging now, that's what he had reduced her to, and she knew it. But right now, she couldn't care. All she cared about was getting him with her. He stirred again, his eyes opening a little, revealing a sliver pf that perfect green she loved so much.

"Come _on _Leo." She pulled his hand harder, forcing him into sitting position. His eyes were fully opened now, unfocused and hazy he blinked rapidly.

"Piper…" He resisted her, sinking back down into the soft couch.

"Please…" Hearing the soft tone of her voice his eyes looked up at her, but instantly wishing they hadn't. He didn't want to see the tear fall, he didn't want to she another one build up behind her eyelid, he didn't want to cause them.

It had been like this for months now, at least. He fell asleep on the sofa; she came down and coaxed him upstairs. But recently, she hadn't come down. She went with it. She stopped fighting and struggling. She went with it.

But tonight, tonight she came again.

But he didn't want to come. He didn't want to have another taste of what he used to have. He knew it would be too hard to stay away from. He'd get attached again; he'd want to stay.

But he'd only have to tear himself away again. He knew that. He could sense the brewing storm ahead.

He didn't know if they could make it out of this one either.

"Leo, please…" More tears were falling now and she reached out her hand towards him. His eyes found hers and for a moment.

One small, broken moment.

And in that moment his wall broke again. It crumbled into a million pieces of rubble and he gave in.

"Ok."

And right then things were imperfectly clear. A tainted moment together.

* * *

**AN: Yeah I liked that for some reason. Oh and the next chapter is going to a pretty huge one as far as the plot goes. So yeah, look out for that soon. **

**Review Review Review Review Review Review Review Review Review.**

**Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please.**

**I love you guys :)**


	11. Scream

**AN: Like I said, this is a crucial chapter. It's not too long or written too great but it's needed believe me. Oh and it's a flashback. But I think you'd work that out.**

**Oh and another note, you may want to go back a read chapter six, because this comes after the flashback at the end of it. Okay? Cool? Good.**

**_Ok, here goes nothing.

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_**

The screaming could be heard from inside Taylor's nursery, where Jake had run to in fear. Screams that ripped through him in a violent rage, and struck right down to his core.

Taylor was awake now too, and crying. Jake turned to look at her, his eyes wide for fear.

"Sush Tay!" He snapped at her, trying to get her to be quiet. They'd be caught if she carried on screaming like that. But she didn't listen to him, she just cried harder.

Jake gave in, ready to so anything to get her to be quiet. He walked carefully over to her, making sure the floor under him didn't creak as he moved.

"Shhh…" He spoke softly taking her tiny body into his arms and rocking her gently, trying to keep his mind off the screams that were still sounding from the front room.

**.xXx.**

"Where is he?" Piper flinched visibly as Dan spoke to her. She had long forgotten what it felt like to be in presence. The way he made her feel weak. That was a feeling she hadn't missed.

She shook her had stubbornly, knowing instantly that it was a mistake. But she didn't even care.

"Where is he Piper?" Dan repeated, stepping dangerously close to her. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. And it with it came crashing down memories. Memories that she would rather forget.

"You think I wouldn't find out?" His voice menacingly soft now, a serial killer calm edge to it that unnerved her, but she kept a solid front. Knowing that Dan could see through it.

"Where is he? I just want to say hi…" He laughed then, baring all his alcohol and nicotine stained teeth. It was things like this that she kept him away for in the first place.

"He's not here." Piper lied, but she had to. To keep Jake an Taylor safe she would do anything.

_Where are you Leo?_

"I'm guessing he's not in then?" Dan asked, reading her mind. A chill ran down her spine and stepped back again, as he advanced on her.

"Piper, sweetheart… tell me where _our son_ is." He gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw, forcing out the words. She looked down to see his fists, now formed into tight balls.

"Don't. Call. Me. Sweetheart." She forced out, her jaw clenched.

His fist connected with her face in a crack, he head snapping back to hit the wall she was back up against. Pain shooting through her skull, and bringing tears to her eyes.

"Did that hurt?" He taunted while she looked down at her feet, holding back tears that were threatening to fall.

"Well, guess what? How do you think not knowing you had a _son _felt!" He was shouting again now, just increasing the pain in her head.

"Dan…" But he cut her off, another fist to her jaw. This time she screamed.

"Stop. Talking."

**.xXx.**

The screams weren't letting up as Jake desperately tried to quieten Taylor. But they were getting worse, and filling even more with fear. Jake didn't think he could take much more.

And as he heard a bang against the door of the nursery, something inside his 6-year-old mind snapped, and he saw red. Rage mixed in with terror isn't a great mix. Especially in a 6-year old-boy.

He set Taylor back into her crib, telling her to shush one more time before placing his tiny, shaking had on the door knob. Even as he twisted it he could already see Dan's cold, grey eyes piercing into his soul. He visibly flinched before pushing the door open fully to witness the worst thing of his life.

"Mommy!" He screamed before everything seemed to go black.

**.xXx.**

"_A adult, female. Multiple severe, head chest wounds. Heavy blood loss."_

"_Chid, male. Same state as the mother. Suspected broken ribs and cracked skull."_

_There was rushing around, as various doctors and nurses rushed the doors where to people were being wheeled. In. Alex and Leo ran to them._

"_Leo…" Alex turned to him, her face white and she was shaking lightly._

"_What is it?" He asked and she moved slowly aside to give him a view. "Oh my god…"

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_

**AN: I seriously hated that chapter. Just the way it's written isn't good at all. But it was moving me away from my comfort zone, which would be stone cold angst. So I'm going back to that in the next chapter. Which will be set in present day and will also be a crucial chapter and in my opinion is written pretty well too so :) Okay, please review.**


	12. Sorry

**AN: Ok, back to present day stuff. This story is getting way, way off track so I'm going to try my hardest to get it back to my original plot. Which is going to be hard because my writing tends to wander, and I love the plot too much to change it so. Ok, wish me luck?**

**I thought I'd post this coz I'm off to Italy in about 3 hours. So I wanted to get this up before I went. Leave me lots of pretty reveiws for when I get back:)

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**

When your whole world falls apart, you'd expect to feel something. Heartache, disbelief, depression, just something. When that happened to Piper Wyatt-Halliwell for the countless time in her short life, she felt nothing.

A vast nothing.

Just an open space inside of her, like someone had taken away something away from her spirit. Like something crucially important was missing from her.

Maybe because it was.

She could feel it as soon as they hit the stark white of the hospital corridors. She didn't know what she could feel, but it something. Something important. And she knew Leo could feel it too.

They way the sir sucked from the room and it felt like all eyes were on them, staring as the pushed their way through the double doors, to walk down another corridor.

Something was wrong.

He reached for her hand, searching for anything to hold onto to. But she withdrew it, not wanting to be touched right now. Physical contact was sure to break her away from the dream state she had forced herself into. The only way to deal with the pain of impending heartbreak.

As she pulled her hand away, Leo felt a rush of panic shoot through him. She didn't want him anymore, and now, when she should be holding onto him for dear life, she drew away.

Turning another corner and coming into full-on contact with the empty eyes that burned them as they made their way through.

She felt a tear prick in the corner of her eye and held it back, not wanting it to fall.

But as soon as the final corner was turned, as they witness the looks written all over the faces of the ones they loved the most, they knew there was no point anymore.

**.xXx.**

Phoebe stood there; head hanging slightly, the usual happy-go-luck attitude was gone. This was bad.

"Oh my god…" Piper's voice smashed through the silence and head snapped up to look at her.

"They said…the machine…we waited for you to come…" Andy stuttered out, his voice sounding restricted. The tears he was holding back evident.

Piper nodded, and all feeling left her body in that moment, she knew what they meant.

"You waited so we could say goodbye before you turned the machine off." She spoke bluntly, like it was the most common thing in the world.

Like it was everyday that your big sister was on life support, and about to be switched off.

"Yeah…" Phoebe spoke, shocked at the forwardness of her sister.

"Thanks." And that was all she said.

Leo behind her on the other hand, felt empty, but not in the totally stoic way that his wife did. He was feeling pain, and it hurt like hell. But he decided right then, he'd take feeling over not feeling any day.

And Piper walked over the window, pressing up against the cold glass to see her sister. Lying there, looking so pale and void of everything. She spun around to look at Phoebe; Phoebe nodded at her and walked in the room, Piper following closely.

**.xXx.**

"Piper…" Leo tried that night, as she lay on her old bed. On top of the covers, still fully clothed. Hardly even blinking as she stared blankly up at the off-white colour of the ceiling above them.

She didn't respond to his voice, but carried on staring.

"Come on…talk…" He reached out to touch her hand, but she rolled over onto her side, facing the wall. It broke his heart, but on some level he understood.

Her big sister had just died, nothing could come close to the pain she was feeling right now. So he gave in, and just sat there, watching her for any sign of movement. But there was none, except the steady rising of her chest.

Leo could feel sleep creeping up on him, but he refused. Not wanting to leave her alone right now. She needed him, even if she didn't want him right now. She needed him. And he wasn't about to run when she needed him.

He never had before, and he never would.

**.xXx.**

"Hey sis…" Piper voice cracked as she spoke, looking blankly down at her sister lying in the hospital bed.

Phoebe standing to right giving in to the tears and letting them flow freely, streaming down her face. Her body shaking violently from the sobs that broke through. But Piper wouldn't let them, not yet. She needed to talk to her sister. She needed to say goodbye.

"I know I haven't been around much recently. I know I haven't been around as much as I should for the last four years." Her voice had grown hollow, emotion showed no place in it. "I'm sorry."

Two words summed up her whole being right now. The words "I'm sorry" never having meant so much to her as they did now. Never more true than they were now.

"But I guess that means nothing to you now. I wasn't there for so much. I didn't even see Kylie until she was 2." Realisation coming down like a ton of bricks, hitting her at full force.

"Am I really that bad of a sister?" She asked, more to herself than anyone else, "Did I really give up that much for Leo? I didn't mean to. I always swore that nothing would come between us. But it did Prue."

A stray tear betraying her as it slipped slowly down her cheek and splashing silently to the white tiled floor.

"I'm sorry."

There was the breakdown. The collapsing of knees from underneath her, the arms wrapping around her middle preventing her from falling fully. The sobs wracking her body, the re-assuring words in her. The rocking back and forth. Everything that was meant to happen did. Everything that was supposed to comfort her didn't.

Nothing could anymore.

**.xXx.

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**

**AN: I pretty much hate my writing right now. I need to get better again. I don't know what's wrong with me. Hmmm… anyway, still review. Cheer me up?**


	13. Ashes To Ashes

**AN: Ok, so I think I'm back to my usual writing now. I hope, stuff isn't too great with things right now…but I'm trying to get on with it all and I'm keeping on writing, as it's my therapy.**

**I love this chapter.

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**

The rain only suited the mood, fitting right in with the cold and harsh reality of the day they were all facing. Ice cold liquid stinging their arms, the wind whipping around them, blowing their combed hair into messy tangles.

Raindrops falling from soft petals and hitting the grass, making no sound as it did. Everything moving in slow motion, dragging out to add to the ongoing pain. Making it that much harder to bear.

Silence hanging over the crowd as they hung their heads towards the ground, staring with empty eyes at the earth that would be her final resting place. Hating themselves for this occurrence. Their minds all reeling a million times a minute, combing their memories, searching for anything that would've made a difference.

Hands laced together, hanging onto each other for dear life. Squeezing like they would break if they let go, they probably would. Heads rested on shoulders, tears running freely now as the music plays. Knees collapsing with the pressure of it all. Hands around waists, holding them back. Teeth biting down on lips, stopping the screams from letting loose. Words whispered into ears, trying to make them believe everything would be okay as she's lowered into the earth.

_Ashes to ashes and dust to dust._

And almost on time, lightning flashed and thunder clapped violently overhead. Reflecting the inner emotions of the crowd there today. The rain lashes down harder then, but no one makes a move to get inside. Instead they all stand motionless, eyes empty looking at the whole in the ground.

A voice breaks out above them, shattering the silence. The voice is choked and cracked, barely recognisable as the man it was just last week.

His bottom lip quivers as he tries to force more words out, but he bites down on it, halting the tears desperate to fall.

He tells them that they should make a move to get inside, no use getting pneumonia. But they all were hoping that they would. Then they might be able to join her in the soil.

No body moved, not even he did. No body cared enough about themselves to. Not when they had just had to say goodbye.

**.xXx.**

No one dared to speak as they sat around the dinner table that night. The only noise coming from the clinking of metal hitting the plates as they pushed food around. They weren't eating, maybe on some level hoping to starve themselves into oblivion.

It was Andy that spoke first yet again he was the only one brave enough to make himself heard.

They all marvelled at how well he was holding it together, all knowing full well how much he was breaking apart inside.

"I miss her."

Words that they were all thinking, words they were all _feeling._ But only he would speak them out loud, only he would make her death final.

All eyes swivelled to look at him, behind wet lashes. Leo placed a hand onto his shoulder, not knowing any other way to comfort him, words wouldn't mean enough.

He nodded and forced a smile out for everyone and pushed back from the table. Turning his head making a fleeting eye contact with them all before speaking yet again.

"I'm going to check on Melinda." He stood and walked out.

A sob sliced through the tainted silence and then another. The uncontrollable tears were back, and with a fierce vengeance. Piper collapsing into Leo, hanging onto anything to could grasp in her slender hands.

Leo just let her cry, holding back his own imminent tears. She needed comfort right now, not someone to cry with. She needed someone to hold her, and tell her thing were going to be okay even if they weren't. She needed someone to lie to her.

And Leo was an expert at that by now.

**.xXx.**

Andy looked down at the sleeping Angel in his arms with sad eyes. Not even old enough to walk and already lost so much. She had lost her mother, what could be worse than that?

Yet he envied her. He envied the way she was too young to feel the real sting of red-raw grief. He envied the way she was small enough to be held completely and rocked slowly to sleep. She was young enough to be naive to the many evils that were present in the world. She was purely innocent and he envied her for that. Her tiny world untainted by the turmoil outside.

He kissed her forehead and breathed in her scent.

"I'm not going to lie to you Mel. I'm not going to tell you things are fine right now, or that they are ever going to be fine again. Coz I'm really not sure that they are."

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**AN: I don't know where that came from; it just sort of flowed out. I hope you guys liked it; I know it was depressing but I honestly loved this one so could you please, please, please review.**


	14. Never More Alone

**AN: Sorry I didn't update but I've been way busy. As you know I went to Italy for a week and then I had knee surgery, so I haven't been able to get round it properly. And in about an hour I'm going to Wales for 12 days I won't be updating for a while then. Don't hate me for this chapter guys.**

**.xXx.**

A week had gone by, well not _gone _by. The phrase "gone by" sounded way too easy to describe what the week had been like. It had dragged out, squeezing every last bit of pain it could get out of them. And them some. The days had merged together, the line between day and night, darkness and light, good and bad… it had all faded.

No on really talked, Andy had tried a few times to start conversation, but they had always ended in a stinging silence. He had given up on trying now. Everyone had given up on trying now.

**.xXx.**

Knees hugged hard into her chest as she bit down gently on them, holding back the tears that she could sense coming. Her empty eyes staring aimlessly out of the window, her gaze drifting over the rain covered street below her.

However calm the exterior seemed to be, her insides were the opposite. Her mind was reeling at a mile a minute, and showed no signs of stopping soon. She pulled a shaking hand up to brush a strand of hair that had fallen into her face away.

One thought, burning her from the inside out, eating away at her conscience and breaking her already fragile heart.

She made probably the best and work decision of her life when she moved from San Francisco to Chicago to be with Leo. She got to be with the love of her life all the time, escaping from the ghosts of the past mistakes that lingered for them in California. She was happy, for the first time in a long time. But with the good, came the bad.

She sacrificed her family relationships, only seeing them a handful of times. Not getting a chance to see her big sister before she was cruelly snatched from them.

She turned her head to look at Leo sleeping peacefully on the bed. She loved him more than she ever thought possible, the love they had in the beginning was stronger then ever. But at the same time it had weakened. The flame had been suffocated and they were burning out. She could feel it and she knew he could too.

Her hand reached out to trace his face, her fingers lingering over his lips for a second, and she closed her eyes.

She knew what she had to do.

**.xXx.**

"Leo…" She tried to start, not knowing what words would follow, but he cut her short.

"I need to go back Piper." He pushed another sweater into the suitcase the he had on top of the bed. He looked at her, "I miss them." His voice coming out in no more than a whisper.

She nodded slightly, "I know. So do I."

He sat down, the mattress sinking slightly under him. "But…"

"But I can't go back Leo." She sat next to him, taking his hand in her smaller one. His eyes filled with confusion and hurt as he looked at her.

"Why?" He broke from her gaze and fixed his eyes on the floor below their feet. She didn't try to re-capture the eye contact they had had just a few short moments ago.

"Leo… with Prue and… I don't think I can leave. I need to… I need to spend time with my family. I miss them…" She trailed off, hoping that she had got her point across.

"But… the kids… Jake and Taylor…"

When had they gotten this way? Communicating in sentences, not being able to get their points over to each other.

"Leo, I hadn't seen Prue in… too long. I can't make that mistake again." She took her time over each individual word she spoke, wanting to finish a sentence. Wanting him to understand why she was doing this.

"Piper…" He tried to interrupt her but she wouldn't let him.

"I gave them up. I didn't mean to. I gave them up." She choked back a sob rising in her throat, "I can't do that again… I can't go back."

He swallowed tears that were stinging his eyes, "So… a break?" So much was meant by those two words. Words that sent Piper's head spinning as she felt the pressure of her actions weighing down on her heart. But she nodded.

She closed the deal and then she cried. She cried worthless tears and he could hardly hold her, afraid that she would hear the sound of his heart breaking.

**.xXx.**

Leo held back tears for the countless time in the past 24 hours, as he stood at Paige's front door, alone.

The door creaked open to reveal Paige, a smile gracing her features. A smile that was soon replacing with a look of confusion as she saw Leo on his own.

"Leo?" She asked, reaching for his arm, pulling him inside the house. He followed.

"She stayed." More tears threatened to fall as he spoke two words. Two words to choke upon. "A break."

Confusion turned to shock in Paige as she heard the words that spilled from Leo's mouth. She forced a nod as Jake turned the corner, and a grin crossed Leo's face.

"Hey buddy." He spoke softly, scooping the eight-year-old up into strong arms, breathing in his scent. "I missed you." Jake giggled as Leo's breath tickled his skin.

"Where's Taylor?" He asked and Paige led the way to a room off the hall where his daughter lay asleep. Leo placed Jake on the floor as he bent over to kiss Taylor on the head.

To his surprise no more questions where asked about Piper and where she was that night. And he was glad and as he lay in his cold bed, staring up and the darkened ceiling, he had never felt more alone.

**.xXx.**

**AN: Don't hate me. Trust me. Okay? Good. Please review.**


	15. Change Mistakes

**AN: Sorry I haven't been around in a long while, and I really don't have much of an excuse. I'm slowly starting to hate this story, I can't write it, all inspiration's gone. I do have up to chapter 20 pre-written but after that I don't know when that'll be done. I don't wanna leave you guys hangin but, I don't know how to write this anymore. Sorry. **

**This chapter's got some really important stuff in it, so watch out for that. & I now have a fictionpress account, go on my profile if you want the url. Thanks guys :)

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"Where's mommy?" Jake asked Leo the next night over dinner. He had ordered in pizzas, not wanting to face cooking right now. Leo raised his head to look at the boy across from him.

He looked so much like his mother it was shocking. The hair, the nose, the eyes… oh god the eyes. Leo thought he might die when he looked into Jakes eyes, the weight on his heart pressing too hard.

He shook his head and answered, "She stayed in San Francisco for a little while." He didn't go further into the explanation, Jake didn't need to know the details of their failing relationship.

"Does she miss Aunty Prue too much?" The innocence of the question killed Leo. Jake would never know how much pain it held for him. How much there was behind that single question.

He nodded. "Yeah Jake."

"Oh."

There was silence for a while, the only audible sound in the room was Taylor banging softy on the plastic tray in front of her, but he ignored it for as long as he could, not wanting to break himself away from his thoughts.

**.xXx.**

"Haven't seen you in a while…" The vaguely familiar voice from behind him sounded. He knew who it was, and this time he didn't even fight it. Instead, hr pulled the chair next to him out.

The old man nodded and sat down, his eyes never leaving Leo as he did.

"You ready to talk kid?" Sam asked, this time Leo didn't refuse right off. He just sat in silence, letting the words sink in.

_You want to talk… _

No one ever asked him that. Piper sure hadn't in a long time. So, if no one ever asked him, he never even thought about talking to anyone, not being used to having that option.

When he thought about, he fully realised how much he needed someone to lean on. Who was this old man who was so interested in him?

Leo turned his head to give a smile.

"Not yet." He said, looking Sam in the eyes, "But soon."

He wasn't ready yet.

**.xXx.**

"Hey Leo" Alex's voice rang cheerfully in his head.

It was dark outside as Leo sat at the desk, staring blankly at the board in front of him. It was slow tonight, and he knew he could go home if he wanted to. But he didn't.

He didn't want to face the kids right now, they reminded him too much of Piper. And he couldn't think of her right now.

Alex was a welcome distraction.

"Hey" He answered the blonde as she sat down on the empty seat next to him. His voice was void of any emotion. But he liked it that way, that way no one could read him.

"I've missed you." She told him, a smile crossing her lips as she looked intently at him, waiting for an answer.

_She missed him._

It was good it feel wanted. He hadn't felt like that in a long time, not since Taylor was born too early. It was nice to feel that way.

"I missed you too." He said back. He hadn't of course. He hadn't thought of anyone at work for the whole time he'd been away. But he couldn't tell her that.

Her smile grew wider, which made him feel better still. He had made someone happy. It was another all to distant feeling for him.

**.xXx.**

Piper sat in her room, staring hard at the phone. Her mind running in circles, wondering whether to call him. Tell him she was wrong, she didn't want a break, she only wanted him. She _needed _him.

But every time she convinced herself to, she'd catch a glimpse of Andy's empty eyes as he walked in an aimless manor around the house. Wandering in and out of rooms without purpose.

_Prue was dead._

She had been too busy with her new life in Chicago to even visit her family back home. She hated herself for that. She wouldn't do it again.

A soft sigh pushed past her lips, as she reached out to touch the photograph standing on her nightstand, lightly with her fingertip. It was taken almost a year ago now. Just before Taylor was born.

She was heavily pregnant, and Jake was stood smiling next to her. Leo was behind them, a protective hand on her stomach. They were so happy.

Why can't they go back?

Change mistakes.

Make everything better.

_You can't.

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**AN: Yeah, that wasn't great but I do have some important stuff in there. So, review and the next chapter will be up soon. That should be an important one.**

**Thanks.**

**Review.**


	16. Too Many Things, Pushed Too Far

**AN: Figured I should get this up too seeing as these chapters are ridiculously short. Ok, seriously. Don't hate me.

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He was the only one to notice her. Even when she was invisible, he saw her. Every time she pulled away from him, her brought her back, and every time she fell he was always there catch her. He had run away, tried to cut him out. But he had chased her. When she gave up on herself, he believed in her.

He was everything perfect.

She was everything deficient.

She had messed up, over and over again. One thing failing after another. But it had always worked out, because of his faith in them.

But thing too many pushed him too far.

Fate was trying to tell them something all along, but they had ignored the signs. Fighting back with everything that had. Then the final shove, the breaking pint had to come.

She hated herself for leaving her kids. They were in Chicago, while she was in San Francisco, doing nothing but sit in a stagnant silence everyday. And she missed them. More than anything. Like a hole in her heart, that hurt every time she breathed.

But she couldn't.

She never saw Prue before she died, she was with Leo. Who's to say that wouldn't happen with Phoebe, or Andy? It couldn't. She wouldn't let it.

When she was ready, she would go back.

That's how she saw it.

**.xXx.**

"Leo, you okay?"

He didn't feel love for her, or any kind of affection. When she was near him, he didn't feel his heart race, or his insides grow warm. There was no attraction.

He felt needed around her. Like she cared for him, like she wanted him. He felt angry around her, because his _wife _should feel that way, but she didn't.

And he hated it.

But it was nice to feel anything other than empty.

"Leo…" Her voice, speaking his name in that way, like she was worried about him, sent him over the edge.

Nothing was soft between them.

His hands on her shoulders. Her back against the wall. Her hands in his hair. Their lips crashing together. His chest against hers. Everything was rushed, and painful.

Everything he did made him hate himself a bit more. Falling a little further with every touch. But for once, he wanted, no he _needed_, to feel something. And even if it were self-loathing he would take it.

For tonight, he would take it.

**.xXx.**

He slept with his back to her, not letting his eyes catch her even for a second. Especially her hair. Her hair was one of the things he loved most about Piper. He loved the smell of it, the way it felt between his fingers. He loved to bury his face in it for hours and hours while she was asleep.

And Alex's hair was too different.

He sat up on the edge of the mattress. Feeling the duvet fall down around him as he did.

He never thought he could hate himself this much.

"I'm sorry…" He muttered under his breath, not really knowing whom he was saying to. To Piper, for betraying what they had. To Alex, for using her. To Jake, for ignoring him. To Taylor for bringing her into this mess.

He reached for his clothes, and pulled them on as quickly as he could manage. Never once looking back at the woman on the bed behind him as he almost ran of the room.

"I'm so fucking sorry."

**.xXx.**

"Hey Leo!" Jake's smiling face hit him as he stepped through Paige's front door. Hurting his broken conscience.

"I'm sorry Paige…" He breathed quietly. But Paige nodded, an understanding smile touching her lips.

"You needed time alone. It's fine." She told him, touching his shoulder lightly to reassure him. But Leo's face stayed emotionless and unmoving.

"I'll take them now…" And he turned the corner to see Taylor. His perfect little girl, asleep.

It wasn't her fault she was born too early, she did nothing wrong. It wasn't her fault her parents failing relationship fell apart.

Just innocent.

A sigh pushed out of his mouth and he reached down to her.

Another day.

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**AN: I hate my writing right now; I can't seem to write anything good. Maybe I'm forcing it too much... It sucks I know. But _hopefully_ you'll review anyway. I do love this story; I hate how I write it.**


	17. Silence

**AN: Yeah, short flashback. I wanted to get away from the tricky style of the past few chapters, to get me away from things basically, so here goes nothing… Triple update :)

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"But I _love_ you!"

"Bullshit, you stopped loving me a long time ago!"

"That's _not_ true! You _know_ that!"

"Well, it sure as hell seems like it!"

"Piper…"

"Leave me alone Leo."

He hated these arguments. The ones that they never used to have, but were becoming more and more frequent. He hated them. The way he throat hurt from screaming, he hated screaming… He had always tried his hardest to keep his cool; he hated the way she made him break.

The time in between them was the worst; they'd walk on eggshell around each other. Trying their hardest not to trigger another argument. Silent sentences would hang awkwardly in their between them.

As their arguments took hold, all the things lefts unsaid stumbled clumsily from angry lips, burning around them. All the things he needed to say but never could. They all came out, secrets bared.

In a way, he loved it.

And that scared him.

A slam of a wooden door, colliding with the frame shook him from his thoughts, bringing him back to earth. She had done when she always did at time like this.

She splintered helplessly under the unbearable pressure suffocating them. He didn't blame her, he couldn't. Not when it was everything he could not to do the same.

The silence screamed through his ears It was crushing him, he could hardly breath through it all. So deafening he felt like screaming right back at it. Just to let these feeling out. The countless emotions raging mindlessly through him. Hurting his heart. Hurting everywhere.

There had to be a way out of this, there _had _to be. Things were never supposed to be like this, never.

They were Piper and Leo. The perfect couple. Cupids fucking pride and joy. Light years away from were they stood now.

**.xXx.**

Jake stood alone at the top of the stairs, frozen by what he was hearing.

"…_You stopped loving me a long time ago…"_

He heard the slam of the door and he shivered. He couldn't hear anything else. Even Taylor had stopped crying, for once.

He hated the silence.

It hurt him.

So he sat down on the top stair, careful not to make any noise as he did, and rested his head against the hard plaster of the wall behind him. The wall that was filled with countless pictures of their family and friends. Everyone smiling.

It usually made him cheer up to look at all their happy faces, but tonight it was wrong. The shadows on the hallway, distorted them in some way. Changing them. He couldn't see the smiles.

He listened as hard as he could. And after a time, he didn't know how long, he didn't care how long. The silence stopped hurting any more. The silence stopped being silent.

Leo's sobs ripped through it, bringing it crashing down around them both. Tearing down the walls that had been pushed up.

AN: Eh, wow. I hate my writing. I can't write what I want to, I always end up writing complete depression and I can't help it. Meh… I'm getting back to my plot in the next chapter.

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**I have worked it out… this story should be over, at around maybe 24/25 chapters. I'm pretty sure of that, but nothings written in stone. It may be longer, might be shorter… I just don't know. But almost certainly not going much over 30.**


	18. Phone Calls And Heartbreak

**AN: So, back to present day.

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"I miss you mommy…" Jake told her down the phone and her heart melted for him. It had been two and a half weeks since she had been home. Two and a half weeks since she had seen her kids, and she missed them more than anything.

But she couldn't go back.

"I miss you too Jakey." She smiled as she spoke, holding the phone so delicately, like it might break if she gripped it too tight.

"Leo misses you too."

And his words sent her spinning; they came totally unexpectedly and caught her off guard. She wasn't ready to hear his name out loud yet, and everyone in the house was avoiding it like the plague.

"I know Jake." She managed to choke out, her throat feeling dry and a thousand times tighter now. She coughed to clear the lump that was beginning to form.

"You miss him too?" He asked. Such an innocent question. Jake would never even know how loaded that single question was to her. She shut eyes, squeezing them tight seeing the rainbow of colours dance violently behind her eyelids.

"Yeah Jakey."

There was silence on the phone for while then. Neither trusting themselves to speak to the other.

"Hey mom?" He asked, shattering the silence.

"Come home…"

"I want to Jake. I miss you all so much…" She trailed off; he was too young to know why she couldn't. He didn't need to know about her and Leo's "break".

"Then why not?" He was angry now and she could hear it, the frustration in his voice as he spoke to her. And that just hurt Piper even more.

"I…I just can't." She hated not being able to tell him the truth. How she couldn't leave her family again. How she couldn't let another sister die without seeing them. Once was enough.

"Right."

Then all she heard was the continuous beeping of the dial tone. He had hung up on her. She placed the phone down onto the hook with a shaking hand and breathed in deeply. Trying to calm herself.

How did things fall apart again?

She pressed her back against the cool wall and slid down to meet the floor, a sob catching in her throat.

**.xXx.**

Leo stepped in the stark white building, squinting against the lights. It had been three days since he had last been here. Three days since he had last worked. Three days since he had used Alex.

He rubbed the back of his neck hard from the nerves that were racing wildly through him. If he could, he'd take it back. If he could go back in time he wouldn't have touched Alex. He would've walked away from her that night.

But as Leo and Piper both had learned by now, you can't go back.

"Leo…" He heard the voice from behind him and he cringed inwardly. _Oh my god._ He stopped rubbing his neck and let his arm slowly drop down to his side.

"Leo…" She asked again and touched his shoulder lightly. His whole skin jumped at the contact and his insides twisted. This was way too awkward for him to handle.

But he had to anyway.

Leo turned around to face her slowly, flinching as he did. Waiting for the shouts. But none came. And when he met her gaze, all he found was a smile being thrown his way.

"I'm sorry." He told her, his voice cracking slightly under the pressure he felt on him.

"It's okay Leo…" She said the right words, and she made the right expressions. But she didn't say it right. Her voice sounded empty to him, no emotion was held behind it.

He had killed that.

"No, it's not Alex. I…" He didn't have words to tell her hoe he felt. How sorry he was for what he'd done.

He'd used her. He's had sex with and then left. Without saying goodbye. Without even a note to explain. Nothing. And that was worse than anything he could've done to her.

He had used her and taken advantage of how she was with him.

"Leo…"

God, when she said his name like that… She shouldn't be saying it like that. He was married. He had a kid. And a kid that he considered as his. It was wrong.

"I have to go." He rushed out and took off from the hospital without even signing out.

**.xXx.**

"I'm worried about him Piper."

"What's wrong?"

"Something's off."

"Oh."

"He's not himself."

"Oh."

"He misses you."

"I miss him too."

"He needs you here. All three of them do."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I have to go. Bye Paige."

Paige kept the phone in her hand as the dial tone sounded down the line. That's how all of her convocations with Piper had been recently. With her non-answers or short comments. And it was frustrating. Leo and Piper were supposed to be together. If they couldn't make it then there was no hope for anyone else. They were _the_ couple.

She sighed outwardly and pressed the phone down onto the hook.

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**AN: Yeah, so it was all completely pointless. But something's happening in the next chapter that's pretty important. So, look out for that soon. Ok, so review pleasums **


	19. Fate

**AN: Yes important stuffs. Ten points to you if you saw this one coming.

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"I knew you'd come one day." Piper cringed inwardly at his tone. "I just _knew _you wouldn't be able to stay away."

He flashed her that smile. The one that reminded her of a sharks. All teeth and no happiness. The smile that used to send sparks of fear shooting through her. The one that still did.

"Shut up Dan." She spoke through gritted teeth, eyes flashing gold.

He smiled at her again, the florescent lighting of the visiting room hitting his cold grey eyes for a second. The harsh glow making him seem even more daunting. She shivered, goose bumps spreading over the exposed skin of her arms.

"What's your excuse then?" He tapped his long forefinger on the table that separated them and cocked his head to one side.

"Closure." She spoke steadily, using everything she had in her to keep it emotionless.

And he laughed at her. She sat there, staring straight-ahead willing herself not to cry and he just laughed. The anger welling up inside her as he did.

"Fuck you."

And the laughed stopped, a strange look blanketing his stony features. He was thinking of what to say next, she could tell. Picking out his next words carefully, debating which ones would hurt her the most. Mulling over which ones would hit home the hardest.

And as he spoke his voice was slow. He wanted to drag out the pain as much as he could. She knew all of his tricks like the back of her hand. Hell, he invented most of them for her.

"How's Jake?"

Her head dizzied and tears burnt the corners of her eyes.

"Don't talk about him Dan. Leave him out of this." Her voice prickled with rage and her fist clenched of its own accord on her lap. He shouldn't get to her like this. Oh, but he knew just what buttons to press.

"What are you here for Piper?" He pressed on at her and she shook her head.

"I just wanted you to know…" She stopped and took a breath, "That I'm over it all."

"Oh, please. If you were so "over it" then you wouldn't need to tell me that. The old cliché darling."

"Even though you ruined my life. I'm over it. Things are good now Dan. I just wanted you to know, that you're not hurting me anymore."

The words were flowing freely now. Pouring from her mouth full of everything she was feeling, every last emotion that she held in her.

"I'm not letting you have that satisfaction. Everything you put me through, I'm so over it. I'm good now. I just wanted you to know that."

And she smiled at him. A real, genuine smile and it confused him. He had never seen her smile at him like that. They were always fake smiles, plastic applied smiles.

She had never given him a true smile before.

"Goodbye Dan."

And she walked out, still holding that same smile.

**.xXx.**

"I screwed up Paige." His voice was trembling as he spoke to her. His head resting in his hands. She placed a soft hand on his back, rubbing it slowly back and forth. She shouldn't be comforting him like his was the victim.

He sat up and looked right at her, "You don't get it. I _screwed up._"

She shook her head, "Leo… what happened?"

She had never seen him like this, and it scared her. Something was very wrong here. He stood up walked to the other side of the room, running a hand through his messy hair.

"I made a mistake…. A _big _mistake." He paused, controlling his emotions briefly, "I promised I'd never do it. I never did once, until…"

Tears choked his voice and a chill ran through Paige. She hoped to god that he wasn't talking about what she though he was. _It's Leo._

"I know how much it hurts. After it happened to me, I _promised_ I'd never do that to anyone else. Least of all her." He turned around them, his empty green eyes looking right at Paige, "But I did."

She gulped loudly, swallowing the lump that had lodged in her throat and shook her head to clear the mist over her.

"Who?" She had to ask, even if he didn't tell her, she had to ask.

His eyes misted over, they usually sparkling green had gone dull and lifeless. No emotion breaking through the stone wall in front of him. No sign of anything reaching her as she looked at him carefully.

He gulped before he spoke, attempting to swallow the mammoth lump that had lodged itself in his throat.

"Alex." He took several deep breaths of air, as he tried to re-gain his cool, "It was Alex."

Paige said nothing, just stared at him. If it weren't for his reaction right now she wouldn't believe a word of it. It was Leo here. Leo. He would never in a million years even dare to think about cheating on Piper.

Never.

Her stomach grew queasy and she dropped her head into her hands, pressing her fingers hard against her eyes, the explosion of colours shattering behind her eyelids.

"Oh my god…"

He shakily walked over to her and sat down, a desperate look etched all over his face.

"Don't tell her." She raised her heavy head, "Please."

Then the tears came again. As his world came falling down around him the tears came. And, what made it worse. He knew that he was to blame this time. Not her, but him.

He was the cheat.

Like so many years ago, the past came back to haunt them, and they had no choice but to go with it. To move with the raging storm and let it lead you. And if you didn't, like they had done so many times before. If you stayed strong and hung on, there would only be another one.

And another one.

They would never stop coming. Thick and fast. Fate's way of telling you that _you're not supposed to be together._ For too long they had been naïve. And they ignored the countless warnings.

This was it though. The end of them, and they both felt it.

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**AN: Not the end of the story, don't worry. I just don't know when I'm gunna update next. My writers block on this is, INTENSE. Reveiw please **


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